The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1887-07-20

With the exception of these small well
watered and finely timbered mountains,
and the extreme western boundary above
mentioned, Choteau county may be gen
orally described as one grand rolling prai-
lie, carpeted with a luxuriant growth of
the most nutritious grasses in the known
world, interspersed with valleys of gener-
Gus width, through which flow the waters
of mountain streams that have their
sources in the distant ranges to the west
and south.
The principal streams that water this
vast extent of country with the number
of miles of their devious courses that lie
within the limits of Choteau county are as
follows: The Missouri the navigable head
of which is Fort Benton, $50 miles: Milk
river. 300 miles: Marias 200 miles: Sun
river, 125 miles; Teton river, 80 miles,
making grand total Of 1,O25 miles of
main waterways If to this could be added
coming into them from all directions, the
number would be trebled or quadrupled
and some idea could be formed of how
we'll watered Choteau county is.
The proportion of land in this immense
section that may be successfully cultivat-
ed cannot at present be even guessed at
with any degree of certainty. The first
efforts Of farmers in Montana we're con
fined to the narrow valleys of streams in
the mountain districts Immediately tribu-
tary to the mines. Up to the present time
centers Of population have been the min
ing cities, while the great pasture lands
that extend in one unbroken line from the
Rocky mountains on the west to the great
lakes on the east we're left for years in the
possession of the buffalo, elk, deer and an
telope: the home of the Indian, the hun
ter and the trapper. But now the buffalo
and larger game have disappeared. The
Indians have become semi-civilized and
are engaged in the peaceful pursuits of
husbandry and stock raising about their
their reservations.
The stockmen have year after year
pushed their herds into this favored land
until now it's grassy slopes and valleys are
covered with lowing cattle, bleating sheep
and sleek horses.
The stock business has proven SO lucra-
tive that agricultural pursuits in Choteau
county have, up to the present time, been
ol,,or,c4 o,4;rolxy orrIao4o1 c,o,-o -, 4lo i'm
mediate vicinity of Fort Benton, where
farming has been carried on to limited
extent to supply home demand. But the
little farming that has been done has pro
duced wonderful results, and has been a
genuine revelation, not only to our own
people, but to those who live in what are
considered to be far more favored coun-
tries for agricultural pursuits. It has
been practically demonstrated that the
farmer can here secure larger return for
his labor from the different kinds of soil
than can be secured in any other portion
of the continent. The alluvial deposits
along the streams are as rich as those of
the world renowned Mississippi valley.
The higher table lands and undulating
prairies, that are seldom elevated more
than from 25 to 200 feet above the streams
were at one time the beds of great inland
lakes or seas, and caught the rich subma-
rine deposits of centuries before they were
lifted up into the sunlight, a proposition
that is clearly proven by it's universally
fossiliferous character, the fossils being
those Of fish and other water life. Once
drained Of it's waters it has since received
the washings of the higher mountains
Such q soil is peculiarly adapted to the
production of cereals, being rich in all the
necessary elements. It's capacity is dem
onstrated by its marvellous crops Of nutri-
tious native grasses, that were first start
ed by scattering seeds waited upon it by
the passing breeze.
The principal articles that are now pro-
duced by our farmers are: Wheat, oats,
barley, hay, peas, beans, potatoes, onions
and cabbage. Corn of the early and quick
ripening varieties has also been success
fully raised, and produces from 40 to Is
bushels to the acre, although it is not
planted as regular crop. Smaller gar
den stuff Of all kinds is produced with
great ease and yields enormously, and our
vegetable gardeners near good markets
soon win fortunes, as there is little com
petition and prices are much better than
n communities where people have the time
to cultivate their own gar
lens. Here time is too valuable to the av-
9rage citizen to attempt anything of the
lind, and the market gardener has clear
ield. Even the stockmen whose cattle,
sheep and horses are numbered by the
hundreds and thousands seldom make an
'ffort to cultivate the soil, but are cash
buyers from the neighboring farmer. The
argest and best markets for our farmers
re the extensive mining districts back in